Peace to you, dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we entered the Holy Week, may we bring to your attention the homily that our Bishop Vsevolod said during the Holy Monday evening service,
How important it is for us that Jesus said these words (with which the fourteenth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel begins):
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1
“Do not let your heart be troubled.” So, the Lord knows that we can be troubled and doubtful. And He does not condemn us for this, nor does He say that it is bad. He only calls us to believe.
To believe means, to overcome by faith, our confusion and doubt. This is the only way to survive in this world, the only way to be saved: to believe in God, despite everything that happens around us. To believe — and then, what does it mean, to believe?
In today’s Gospel, the Lord continues the last discourse with the disciples. A little more, and He will leave them, “He goes to the Father” [John 14:12]. I don’t know if He speaks here about the cross awaiting Him, or already about the ascension. Maybe, as theologians love to write, Christ speaks of ascension in the light of the cross. This may be His intent. But be that as it may, the disciples already understood that His departure was approaching. And thoughts about it inspired new fears and doubts in them.
Christ says that He is the “Way” to the Father, He is the revelation of the “Truth,” and the “Life” (with a capital letter): Life entering into us, enlivening us — who are dead in our transgressions [Eph. 2:5]. Those who are with Christ will see Him and find peace in His Father’s dwelling places [John. 14:2]. But now they have to part; He is leaving somewhere, where access is still closed. He promises to return, but when? How many hours, days, generations must pass before His words come true? Does He really leave them?
It is so scary to be without Christ. Is He really leaving? And during the last supper with the disciples, the Lord reveals to them (and to us) a new mystery: He leaves to stay. He remains, despite His departure. He will abide with them through the One whom the Father sends — the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit — Who will remind them (and us) of Jesus; will make His presence among us manifest.
By the action of the Holy Spirit, Christ will remain among His disciples, but how will this happen? It is impossible to separate what has been said by Jesus from the context of the Gospel. We should remember that it was at the Last Supper that Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit.
How does the Holy Spirit the Comforter comfort us? How does He remind us of Christ? “This is My Body … this is My Blood … do this in remembrance of Me.” When the most important miracle is conducted (the greatest mystery of the Church — the Eucharist), the Holy Spirit sanctifies the gifts on the altar, making the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Believe in God, believe also in Me.
from John 14:1
You know, many years ago, when I was a young Christian, I was afraid of the word “faith.” It seemed to me that the Lord is demanding something impossible from us when he tells us: “Believe!”
“Believe in God!” “Believe in Jesus!” I felt uncomfortable because of this constant call to “believe.” It seemed to me that “to believe” means to accomplish something incredible — in a post-Protestant style — as if, you were a sinner and suddenly believed and became righteous.
Or, “to believe” meant to accomplish something unattainable: to walk on the water as on dry land, without any doubt. That is faith! But I, what can I do? Can what I have be called “faith”? I am just a simple man, filled with endless fears and doubts. To believe is over my powers.
And, I have met many other people (and you have met those) who say: oh, we would so like to believe in God! …And, I did not know what to answer to them. Until I realized that faith is not a sudden insight, nor some supernatural acts. But “to believe” simply means to receive God’s gifts. “To believe” means our hands humbly extended for God’s grace. Do you understand?
No matter how much we doubt, the Lord does not condemn us. He simply calls us “to believe” — that is, not to sit still, but to go where He is waiting for us. Where He prepared His holy meal for us. Where He will forgive us our sins. Because, in fact,
“to believe” is simple:
it means to be where Christ is;
to believe means to listen to His word;
to believe means to take of His Eucharist;
In other words, to believe means to be in the Church.
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1
We live and continue to live in a hostile world in which God is not visible. And, life will be harder. The pestilence will stalk us in darkness, and the destruction will waste at noon [from Ps. 91:6]. And, darkness will cover the earth [from Js. 60:2]. And, the Gentiles will laugh at us. And, it is so easy for us to start doubting in God. But from the today’s Gospel, we learned that God knows this. He knows that it is hard for us. And, therefore, He always awaits us in the Church, at his altar, in His Word and Sacraments.
That is why, a few days before the cross, having loved His own who were in the world [John 13:1], Jesus taught us what it means to believe. Amen.
May God bless you at this holy time of Holy Week!
“Faith and hope”
